As North Melbourne prepares to play Hawthorn for the second time this season, Sam Wright says one particular experience will spur him on.

In 2012, the Hawks pummelled the Roos by 115-points in Launceston.

“It was probably the lowest point of everyone’s career,” Wright told NMFC.com.au.

“Personally it motivates me. I’ll never forget that day. It was a bad day for the footy club. You move on but it still drives you.

“It’s always in the back of your head that we never want a loss like that ever again.”

North has been given two opportunities to play Hawthorn in 2013, something Wright enjoyed.

“If you lose to a certain side, the first thing you do is check the fixture for the next year, which I’m sure we all did.

“It’s a good opportunity that we can play Hawthorn twice in the one year because they’re a quality side and it shows us where we’re at when we come up against them.”

Not only is there the lingering memory of last year, the close loss this season at the MCG is also a motivator.

“In Round 5 we all couldn’t wait to get out there and gain a bit of respect back. Although we lost by three points, we gave it everything and if things had have turned out a little bit differently, we would have won.

“We take that into this week’s game for sure, knowing we can put up a good show if we stick to our task and game plan.”

On a personal level, Wright has shown impressive form since breaking back into the side in Round 19 against Geelong.  He has averaged more than 20 disposals a game in the last three weeks.

Wright says how he ended up being a late inclusion for the clash against the Cats is a little out of the ordinary.

“I knew I was getting close to playing in the seniors but Werribee had the bye that week. So if I didn’t play that week I would have missed two weeks in a row because I was the game day emergency against Melbourne. Then there was no way I could have got back in.

“It was a frustrating time because I thought I couldn’t play that week so then me, Scotty (Brad Scott) and Joycey (Cam Joyce) came up with a plan to have a run with the North Ballarat twos. That way if a spot did open up I could play the week after.

“Then I found out on game day, Cam Delaney was out with a toe injury and I got the call up, so that’s how it all came about.”

Wright had spent six weeks out of the senior side and was dropped following a 10 possession outing against Fremantle in Round 13.

However there wasn’t any one specific area of Wright’s game that led to his demotion.

“It was purely just a confidence thing. I’d lost confidence in my body and struggling with form so it was a bunch of little things.

“I pretty much got told just to go back, get your hands on the footy and get some confidence before coming back in.

“I’m glad I spent those weeks in the VFL. It was the first time I’d been dropped so it made me work a bit harder in getting that confidence back.”

Wright knows while confidence is hard to measure, a lack of it can destroy a player’s game and career.

“Little things that are normally the assets to your game like touch and kicking, they just went,” Wright explained.

“I felt like every time I got the ball, I was going to stuff it up.

“A couple of examples of that were probably goals that I could normally kick without thinking and instead, I’d miss.”

“Confidence is a funny thing. When you’re down on it your form struggles, you overthink things too much and second guess yourself.”

Sometimes a particular matchup or opponent can help players rediscover their best and for Wright, that opponent is Essendon.  In 2012 he collected three Brownlow votes for 32 disposals, 12 marks and a goal. In Round 21 he was again one of North’s best against the Bombers, collecting a season high 25 disposals.

“When you have had success against a team in the past, you go into the game confident and you play naturally.

“It tends to happen a bit for people, they have certain sides they always play well against. It’s a funny one.”

In the game against Essendon and since his return, the utility has settled in a more preferred position.

“I was playing that mid-forward role and now I’m more off half-back. Generally off half-back your game time has to be higher.

“You always come into the side with more midfielders and mid-forwards to provide that run and defenders usually get the one rest per quarter. I don’t mind that.

“It’s been a good thing for me because I had another interrupted pre-season and I didn’t have the fitness that I had last year.”

Steps to rectify Wright’s fitness levels might will be taken in the 2014 pre-season with the club discussing the possibility of sending him to Utah a little earlier.

“I might end up being over there about a week to ten days earlier than everyone else. While I’m over there I’ll train and live the elite lifestyle. Up there you have to do that because if you don’t eat the right things, you’ll end up struggling in the altitude.”